


A Kiss From a Black Rose

by Pokeluv101



Category: Servamp (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:01:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25339552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pokeluv101/pseuds/Pokeluv101
Summary: Mahiru decides to tame the demon within the rose. (KuroMahi)
Relationships: Kuro | Sleepy Ash/Shirota Mahiru
Kudos: 83





	A Kiss From a Black Rose

_I trust you, Kuro._ Mahiru’s warm and reassuring voice echoed in Kuro’s mind. He wished he could feel as confident in himself as Mahiru did when he handed the rose to him. He still had reservation about the flower and reclaiming its power. They needed it to defeat Tsubaki but Kuro didn’t want to risk Mahiru’s life. No one knew how dangerous the power was more than him.

They had decided to tame the demon.

“Are you sure you two want to go through the trouble of taming this thing?” Gear asked Kuro as he tossed the rose into the center of a rune circle. He prepared everything they needed to reverse the ritual in his basement where they could contain the demon easier. “We don’t know if this will work. It’ll be easier to sacrifice your Eve. In the past, you set aside your own personal feelings to do what was best for the world.”

Kuro knew that he was referring to the night he killed his father to stop him from creating more Servamps. The regrets he had of the night caused scars on his heart but the pain had dulled after he met Mahiru. Mahiru knew his past but he didn’t call him a monster. He hoped that he wouldn’t see him differently in a few days.

“The choice isn’t that simple, Gear. Mahiru is my world.” Kuro didn’t say anything more but his determined expression told Gear that he wouldn’t sacrifice Mahiru. “When that demon would take over me at night, I couldn’t control my body but I was still conscious. I tried to talk to the demon and stop it but… This time, it’ll be different.”

Kuro pictured Mahiru’s smile and he wanted to protect him. “Three nights. If I can’t control the power by the third number night, we’ll seal the demon in the rose again. I’ll only transform at night but I want to keep Mahiru from seeing me. Can you keep him away from the basement? I know he’ll argue with you but it’s not safe for him. Gear, in case something happens—”

“I know.” Gear nodded even before Kuro could finish his sentence. They hadn’t seen each other in decades but it was easy to see the effect Mahiru had on Kuro. He knew that they were in love but he wondered if it would be enough to stop the demon. Both of them had lived long enough to know that the world was rarely as simple as fairy tales.

They turned towards the door when they heard footsteps above them. Mahiru descended the stairs with a large scarf and blanket over his arm. He glanced around the basement and his brows furrowed at how sparse the room was. He set the blankets on a cot and said, “I wanted to speak with you before the ritual, Kuro. I know this will be difficult for you and I wish I could be here to support you.”

“It’ll be better for me to know that you’re somewhere safe where that monster can’t touch you.” Kuro countered. In the corner of his eyes, he saw Gear walk to the far corner of the basement. He was glad that he gave them as much privacy as he could. “We don’t have much time left before Tsubaki comes back. Gear and I will focus on the demon while you work with Youtarou on a backup plan.”

“You said that the answer is ‘us’ and that means we should work together. I know you’re strong and you’ll defeat your demon. I want to be there for you though.” Mahiru placed his hand over Kuro’s chest and his fingers brushed against the cold metal of his bell. With a finger beneath his chin, Kuro lifted his face until their eyes met.

He tenderly kissed his forehead and Mahiru wished that there was a way he could help him. He understood Kuro’s concern and why he wouldn’t want him in the room during the ritual. Mahiru brought his wrist to Kuro’s lips and said: “Drink. I can’t be here to help you but my blood will make you stronger for when you face Sloth.”

“That cat is troublesome.” Kuro wrapped his hands around Mahiru’s and pressed his face into his palm. He gently kissed his palm before he bit his wrist to suck his blood. Their contract chain appeared and wrapped around them. From his blood to his heart, everything about Mahiru was sweet to him and Kuro wouldn’t allow anything to happen to him.

Kuro let him go and then he held up a set of shackles. Mahiru nodded in understanding. He reluctantly placed the handcuffs around his wrists. The heavy chains would stop Kuro from escaping and attacking others if the demon took control of him. They had made a lot of precautions for the situation and Gear would watch over him.

“It’s almost sunset. You should go, Mahiru.” They reluctantly pulled apart. Mahiru held onto the contract link as he left because he wanted to feel connected to Kuro even while they were apart.

Once he had left the room, Gear stepped forward with a worn spell book. “I’ll start the ritual right now but you won’t transform until it’s night. I moved the video game system to the basement so we can play while we wait for that demon.”

* * *

Mahiru sat in front of the basement door and thought of the crashes and roars he heard the previous night. He rubbed his thumb over the bite mark on his wrist. As optimistic as he was, he knew it was unlikely that Kuro would tame the demon on the first night. He couldn’t help but worry about what could’ve happened the previous night. He understood that Gear had to subdue the demon if it lost control but Mahiru hoped that he didn’t hurt Kuro.

“Mahiru, did you sleep in the hallway?” Youtarou stepped into the hall with a tray of food. Mahiru wore his emotions openly on his face so he could see that he was worried for Kuro. A sympathetic smile appeared on his face as he placed the tray of food next to him. “Can you give this to Gear? I was going to use the dumbwaiter but he sleeps until noon and I’m worried the food will go cold.”

“Thank you, Youtarou.” Mahiru jumped to his feet. He was grateful for the opportunity he gave him to check on Kuro. Since it was daylight, he wasn’t concerned about the demon. Youtarou slipped a key out from its hiding place above the door frame and unlocked the door. He took the tray of food from him and quietly crept down the stairs.

The first thing he noticed when he reached the bottom was the broken furniture and the claw marks on the wall. He placed the tray on a desk. Kuro was laying on the ground amidst the rubble and Mahiru immediately ran to him. He shoved aside a beam of wood and knelt next to his body. He placed his hand near his lips and he was relieved after he felt his breath against his skin.

Kuro wasn’t injured aside from a few scrapes and bruises that would heal easily. The sight of him being hurt squeezed at his heart and he debated if he should get a first aid kit for him. He carefully ran his fingers through his hair until he moved beneath his hand. He thought he had woken Kuro and he waited for him to fall asleep again. In his sleep, Kuro found his hand and laced their fingers together.

“I can’t get a first aid kit when you’re holding my hand like this.” Mahiru whispered with a soft smile. He slid his other hand beneath Kuro’s head and moved him so that he was laying on his lap. He had a lot of questions about the previous night but didn’t want to wake him. Kuro appeared exhausted.

He suddenly felt a presence behind him and Mahiru looked back the best he could with Kuro on his lap. Only the wall stood behind him and he sighed at himself. Between the events of the past few days and adjusting to a new time zone, he felt anxious. Mahiru stroked Kuro’s soft hair and let his warmth comfort him. He reminded himself that the demon couldn’t attack him during the day.

Then, he felt a hand on his cheek and it slowly turned his face around. A rock dropped in his stomach when he found himself looking into red eyes that were familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. The demon was kneeling in front of him with a rose in his hand. Mahiru instinctively leaned over Kuro to protect him from the demon.

“That’s a cold reaction.” Sloth said with a stitched smile. Even when Mahiru summoned his spear, Sloth didn’t react and merely ran his finger over the blade’s edge. Due to the contract Mahiru shared with Kuro, Sloth was able to speak with him. “I gave you a broom but you changed it into a spear. You have more influence on my power than I expected. I have even more control over Kuro though.”

“No one has control over Kuro. He won’t let you kill people anymore.” He met Sloth’s eyes. Mahiru felt conflicted whenever he spoke with the demon since its appearance was similar to Kuro. His personality was much more forward though. “Gear calls you a demon but no one is that simple. Why do you compel Kuro to attack people? Wouldn’t it be more fulfilling to help others?”

“I haven’t eaten in three centuries. I can’t wait to try your blood. It must taste delicious.” He reached towards Mahiru again. The candles around them were abruptly smothered and the darkness faded as the room returned. Kuro now sat where Sloth did but his back was turned to him. A candle stick was knocked over beside him and Mahiru realized that Kuro drove the demon away.

He didn’t know if Kuro had overheard Sloth because he couldn’t see his expression. Mahiru moved closer to him and draped his arms over his broad shoulders. He felt how stiff his body was and said, “The demon didn’t do anything to me. Are you angry that I sneaked down here?”

“I knew you would try to check on me. You’re too meddlesome. I’m just glad that you didn’t come down here during the night. It was a mess. That thing hasn’t gotten weaker since we sealed it but it’s more persistent.” Kuro groaned and ran his hand through his hair. He was relieved that Mahiru didn’t pull away from him after seeing the demon again.

Mahiru lifted his wrist to Kuro’s mouth and said, “You should drink. It’ll help you heal.”

* * *

“Youtarou, can you translate this passage for me?” Mahiru asked. He glanced up from the textbook and saw that Youtarou had fallen asleep on the couch. They had been studying Gear’s textbooks to search for Tsubaki’s weakness and the sun had set without them realizing it. He was tired as well but he pushed himself to his feet. He intended to wake Youtarou so he could go to his bed and sleep comfortably.

A loud crash stole his attention and Mahiru stared down the hall to the basement door. He reminded himself that Gear was with Kuro and he was a strong werewolf. Despite Gear’s cold and disinterested tone whenever they spoke, he could sense that the two were friends. Mahiru reassured himself with a thousand different rationales yet they were overwhelmed by Kuro’s cry of help.

His scream was followed by silence and Mahiru bit his lip. He didn’t know if Gear had stopped the demon or if something had happened to the two. The silence tugged on his mind until he walked forward. Mahiru pressed his ear against the door yet he couldn’t hear anything. He reasoned that he could quickly look down the stairs to check on them.

Mahiru stood on his toes and grabbed the key that Youtarou had hidden in the door frame. He held his breath as he made his way down the stairs. He stopped near the bottom of the steps before he would be visible and peered into the room. The basement was large and he couldn’t find Kuro or Gear immediately. He took another step down to see the room better and the wood creaked beneath him.

“Are you here to share a midnight snack?” A cold breeze brushed over his ear and Mahiru turned sharply to see Sloth standing behind him. His footing slipped and he stumbled down the last few steps. He managed to catch himself on the wall so he wasn’t hurt.

He looked up and caught a glimpse into the basement. Gear was restraining Kuro with a chain. Mahiru’s sudden appearance drew both of their attention and they turned to him. For a moment, Mahiru didn’t recognize Kuro with sharp horns and dark wings. Kuro’s red eyes were the same yet there wasn’t a spark of recognition in them.

Their gaze met and Kuro stopped fighting Gear to charge towards Mahiru. Kuro broke away from his chains too quickly for him to catch him again. Gear cursed when black spikes burst out of the ground to block his path. He threw his body against the wall of crystal to stop Kuro from reaching Mahiru. He was certain that Kuro would never forgive him if anything happened to him.

“Kuro!” Mahiru called his name but his cry didn’t stop him. He couldn’t escape up the stairs before Kuro was in front of him so he quickly summoned his broom. He didn’t want to fight Kuro so he only held his Lead in front of him to block his fangs. The force behind his attack pushed Mahiru back until he was pressed against the wall. “Kuro, it’s me!”

He repeatedly yelled his name with the hope that his voice would reach him. Kuro gripped his broom and his claws scraped against the Lead. Mahiru caught a glimpse over Kuro’s shoulder where Sloth was standing over him. “Bite him, Kuro. His blood must taste wonderful and you’re hungry. You’re a monster too and this is your true form so you shouldn’t fight me.”

“Kuro isn’t a monster!” Mahiru yelled over Sloth. “He’s a lazy, NEET vampire but also strong and kind and considerate. He saved me time and time again. I can never consider someone like that a vampire. Everything he is and what he has done for me are the reasons I fell in love with him. I’m not going to let you take Kuro from me!”

“I’m not interested in Kuro but you, Mahiru.” Sloth said with a shrug. “How much longer can you hold Kuro back? You have grown stronger but you’re still weak—”

Kuro’s wings unfolded violently and shoved sloth away from them. Spikes grew around him and Mahiru to encase them in a protective shield. The black crystal blocked most of the light yet Mahiru was able to see Kuro clearly. His red eyes had softened and Kuro slowly leaned away from. Mahiru cautiously lowered his broom at the same time. “Kuro?”

“Yeah.” He nodded but he created a crystal barrier between them. “I don’t know how much longer I have control of this form so you should go upstairs where it’s safe. Lock the door.”

Unlike Gear and Sloth, Mahiru was easily able to shatter the wall with a simple touch. He closed the space between them and cupped Kuro’s face in his hands. He brushed his finger over his lips until he touched his fang. “So, this is what you transform into when it’s night and you have your full power. Horns, wings and claws aren’t that scary.”

Feeling his loving touch, he relaxed and the crystal walls he had created all shattered. Sloth had disappeared but Kuro was focused on Mahiru before him. He was tired so he sank to the ground but he kept his arms around him. Mahiru knelt on the ground with him and touched his lips. “You’re hurt. Do you need blood to help your wounds?”

Kuro pulled him closer until he merely kissed Mahiru’s neck. “I want to drink your blood but I can hold back.”


End file.
